Linking police and health data for research – Authors' reply
Authors: Natasha Kennedy, Kerina Jones, Sharon Heys, Cynthia McNerney, Sinead Brophy
Journal: The Lancet Public Health (2023)

We would like to clarify that the project described in our Article1Kennedy N Win TL Bandyopadhyay A et al.Insights from linking police domestic abuse data and health data in South Wales, UK: a linked routine data analysis using decision tree classification.Lancet Public Health. 2023; 8: e629-e638Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar does not involve a traditional cohort but is based on anonymised routine data. However, a consultation on the acceptability of linkage was undertaken. An independent qualitative report was commissioned by the Rhondda Cynon Taff Public Service Board to consult families in the South Wales area who use its services. The findings were that there was high support (>80%) among families that information should be shared between organisations (the National Health Service, local authority and police service) to improve early targeted interventions for families. It was following these consultations that the Public Service Board decided to commission the anonymised linked data analysis to inform information sharing. In terms of compatibility with UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) operates on a legal foundation and was set up in consultation with the Information Commissioner's Office. SAIL follows a standard split file process whereby personal identifiable data are removed and replaced with an encrypted linkage key. This linkage key and the content data are transferred separately into SAIL, and the linkage keys are double encrypted at the point of data being linked and made research ready. The transfer to SAIL of such limited identifiers does not engage the common law duty of confidence as the information is extremely limited. Public task under UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e), or, where health data are concerned, Article 9(2)(j), is customarily referenced as the appropriate legal basis for processing these data. SAIL applies a complex series of controls to results, including an output protocol, to ensure they are legally anonymised and outside of the UK GDPR.2Jones KH Ford DV Thompson S Lyons RA A profile of the SAIL Databank on the UK Secure Research Platform.Int J Popul Data Sci. 2019; 41134Google Scholar In terms of information governance approval, this approval included early years vulnerability profiling, which aimed to study the impact of "socio economic factors on the health and wellbeing of the children population in Wales",3SAIL DatabankProject 916, Wales Electronic Cohort for Children (WECC): phase 4.https://saildatabank.com/data/data-use-register/Date accessed: September 14, 2023Google Scholar as outlined in the Information Governance Review Panel. The profiling included factors associated with low birthweight, and on examining the data, we identified domestic abuse as being associated with low birthweight of infants. We requested an amendment to the approval to integrate new data regarding domestic violence, as identified by police data,1Kennedy N Win TL Bandyopadhyay A et al.Insights from linking police domestic abuse data and health data in South Wales, UK: a linked routine data analysis using decision tree classification.Lancet Public Health. 2023; 8: e629-e638Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar into SAIL Databank. Therefore, the original Information Governance Review Panel approval did not mention police data as these were requested as an amendment during the work. We declare no competing interests. Insights from linking police domestic abuse data and health data in South Wales, UK: a linked routine data analysis using decision tree classificationThe results indicate that vulnerable individuals are detectable in multiple datasets before and after involvement of the police. Operationalising these findings could reduce police callouts and future Emergency Department or hospital admissions, and improve outcomes for those who are vulnerable. Strategies include querying previous Emergency Department and hospital admissions, giving a high-risk assessment for a pregnant victim, and facilitating data linkage to identify vulnerable individuals. Full-Text PDF Open AccessLinking police and health data for researchNatasha Kennedy and colleagues1 have the laudable aim of producing insights that could prevent domestic abuse, but linking a person's medical and police records for research raises concerns, especially when the people to whom the data belong are so vulnerable. Kennedy and colleagues note "individuals have a right to privacy" but that a Public Protection Notification enables information sharing to reduce the risk of serious harm. However, here the aim is research, not reducing risks to a particular individual. Full-Text PDF Open Access